Three different players – Ryan Bertram, Kyle Jacobs and David Perkins – had two hits to lead the LeTourneau University baseball team to a 4-2 win over Howard Payne in the series opener on Friday in Brownwood.
LeTourneau (19-7, 13-6 ASC) scored a run in the fifth and ninth after host Howard Payne had rallied to tie the game in the third inning.
With the game tied at 2, in the fifth inning, with one out LeTourneau freshman Kyle Jacobs tripled down the right-field line. He came around to score when junior Caleb Pritchett singled to left field for his first RBI of the afternoon.
Holding a 3-2 lead until the ninth, LeTourneau picked up an insurance run. Again, Jacobs was in the mix for the visitors. He singled to right field to start the inning, and then he stole second. Then, Pritchett walked to put runners on first and second before both runners moved up on a wild pitch and a stolen base to put runners on second and third for the top of the order. HPU picked up a strikeout but did not escape the threat as Sean Sellers recorded a sacrifice fly to score Jacobs.
The four runs were enough support for senior Curt Copeland to pick up his second-straight complete game win. Copeland went the distance allowing six hits, two runs – one earned and striking out five to raise his record to 4-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.40.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.